Photographic developing tray



Feb. 6, 1923.

L. STEINBERGER.

PHOTOQRAPHIC DEVELOPING TRAY. FILED APR. 8. 1921'.

IN VEN TOR Lou/'5 if/hberyer JWMWLL Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS STEINBERGER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING TRAY.

Application filed April 8,

To all w 720m it m (41 concern Be it known that I, LOUIS STEINBERGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful IHlPI'OVGnlQlltS in Photographic Developing Trays, of which the following a specification.

Prior to my invention trays of the above kind have been so constructed that when stacked together one on top of the other for a considerable number it has been found that the pressure of the pile of trays exerted upon the lowermost one caused them. to crack. especially at the corners, and conse quently caused waste. Also the trays of the art as heretofore constructed had to be care fully piled one upon the other so that each might assume a horizontal position and furthermore in stacking these trays it has been necessary to place in the bottom of each tray a corrugated pasteb'oa-rd to form a cushion or buffer so that they would not be so likely to break. This of itself was undesirable, not only because of the annoyance due to the use of this extra packing material, but also because of the expense of the same.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a reinforcement for trays of this character so that they will be given additional strength.

Another object is to provide means upon the trays so that they will be supported one upon the other without danger of breaking or crushing the under trays.

Another object is to provide trays so constructed that they will not only be strengthened and readily supported one upon the other, but when so supported the bottom of each tray will be separated from the other in a fixed position to the end that glass photographic plates which may be immersed in solution at the time are safe from break age or injury when trays containing such plates are mounted one upon the other.

Another object is to provide a structure by means of which tray will form a fixed positioned cover for the tray immediately below it to shut out the light from the space between the trays.

To these ends I have so constructed a tray particularly of the above stated kind so reinforced at its upper edge that when the trays are stacked the combined weight will exert its force in a perpendicular direction 1921. Serial N0. 459,662.

so that danger of crushing or breaking the lower trays of the stack is obviated and the light is excluded from the space between the trays.

Other objects will appear from the s'ulojoined specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings in which the same reference character indicates the same part in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a series of trays embodying my invention, the lowermost trays showing photographic plates in solution therein.

Fig. 2 is a plan of one of the trays illus trated in Fig. 1.

My invention may be made of any suit able material for this purpose which is not attacked by the acids they are adapted to hold, and it has been found that the mold able insulating material known as electrose is a very desirable material for this purpose.

The tray T is in the form well known in this art with the exception of my particular improvement so as to provide a pan or dishshaped structure having a series of ribs R formed upon the bottom of the tray and extending from the sides thereof. These ribs or projections are pointed and rounded at the top and are for the purpose of supporting a plate P such as usually used for photographic negatives, and when resting upon the ribs R is adapted to be entirelv immersed in the solution S contained in the tray.

A spout or nose N is provided at one corner of the tray to permit the solution to be readily poured from the tray.

My invention consists in forming rim projections 10 at the edge of the tray at each corner thereof, each of the said projections having a flat upper surface 11 and a fiat horizontal lower surface 12 so that when one tray is placed upon another the surfaces 11 and 12 will impinge upon each other, causing the weight of the series of trays to be exerted in the direction of the arrows W in Fig. 1.

As will be readily seen this not only provides a strengthening means for the trays themselves, but provides also a supporting means so that the force of the weight will be exerted in a perpendicular direction as opposed to a horizontal direction, as with the old form, and avoids the necessity of using a cushioning member between the trays when they are packed, and also insures each MIA tray taking a lined horizontal position with respect to the adjacent tray without danger of changing that position, which might be possible in the oldv form of trays, thus damaging the contents of the trays.

The means provided for stacking and placing the trays when in operation permits the use of a series of trays piled up, each containing its own solution, fixing-torming-developing, and at the same time each tray so used is permanently, definitely and safely covered by the tray resting there upon.

I have found by tests that trays provided with my invention. are prevented from crackin or chipping, whereas trays of the old style frequently became crackeduat the bottom by their own weight if but twent five were stacked and allowed to remain loiany length of time. A. stack of three trays each of which is live by eight inches, has been subjected to a vertical pressure of substantially 200 pounds, and they were not injured in the slighest degree.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 I have found that good results will be obtained by forming the corners only withmy improved reinforced edge or rim of limited lengths such as within the boundaries of the lines 20, 2122, 23-2 l, 25-26, 27.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shallow, flat bottomed photographic tray having reinforcing portions at its upper corners, the lower edges 0t said reinforcing portions being adapted to rest horizon tally on the upper edge of a lower tray, when stacked, and to evenly support the tray from the bottom of the lower tray a suflicient distance to receive a photographic solution and plate and serve as a cover for the lowerv tray.-

2. A. shallow, flat bottomed photographic tray having a reinforcing portion extending around its corners, said reinforcing portions having flat lower supporting edges adapted to rest horizontally on the upper edge of the corners of a lower tray when the trays are stacked and spaced from the upper edges to provide uniform space in each tray when stacked to receive a-photographic solution and plate and to cover said solution.

'3. A shallow, flat bottomed photographic tray having athickened portion extending outwardly from its outer wall, said thickened portion having a flat lower edge adapted to rest horizontally on the upper edge of a lower tray when stacked and to support the tray evenly on the lower tray to form a covered space for receiving a photographic solution and plate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set may hand at the borough of Manhattan, city and State of New York, this 1st day of April, 1921.

' LOUIS STEINBERGER. In presence oflsABnL R. FLETCHER. 

